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Monthly Archives: April 2007

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Billionaires Eli Broad and Bill Gates announced plans to launch a new program calls the Strong American Schools Campaign to try to get presidential candidates from both parties to deal with education issues in next year’s election.
Each year more than 1 million students drop our of high school _ that’s one child every 29 seconds, Gates said. We all must demand that candidtes..share their policies on how our countrye will offer all young people strong American schools.
Broad said he wanted to see an election where the candidates were forced to address education issues.
The American dream is slippin gaway and unless our leaders dramatically improve our public schools, our standard of living, our economy and our very democracy will be threatened, Broad said.
Both men are funding the program their foundtions to take the case directly to the American public at a website.

A funny thing happened on the way to the reappointment of Police Chief Bill Bratton _ his nemesis and predecessor, Councilman Bernard Parks.
The Police Commission has scheduled one public hearing on the reappointment of Bratton for next Monday night at the DWP headquarters — and Parks is questioning if that’s sufficient.
From the communities I represent, it looks as if there is no process in place at all and that it’s a done deal, Parks said. The commission says it wants an open hearing, but they all say they want to reappoint Bratton in a month. They have 90 days to make a decision, they should take their time and hear from the communities of interest.
Parks introduce a formal resolution this week requesting the Police Commission to consider additional hearings.
Police Commission President John Mack has said he is willing to hold more hearings if they are necessary and will determine if more are held based on public interest.

Sen. Hillary Clinton picked up a key endorsement on Wednesday as she gears up her Califormnia presidential campaign for next February’s primary election.
Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez was named as a national co-chair of her campaign, giving her a major voice to the Latino community and blocking a key endorsement to the only Hispanic candidate in the race, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.
Bill Richardson is an excellent candidate, but when it came down to it, I decided that Hillary Clinton is the most qualified to be the next president of the United States, Nunez said. The color of my skin didn’t guide me in this decision. What guides me is my passion. I think Hillary Clinton is the most prepared to lead this country.
Clinton, along with other Democratic candidates, are expected to be in California this week for the state Democratic Party convention.

With speculation booming over who will run to succeed Rep. Juanita Millender McDonald, D-Compton, who died last week, one person not interested — so far — is Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn.
“I have the best political job in the world,” Hahn said. “I was born to be a city council member.”
Hahn said she had not considered the prospect of running until she heard her name metioned as a potential candidate.
“I still have time left here to serve,” Hahn said.
She is up for re-election to the City council in 2009.

Deputy City Attorney Tamar Galatzon picks up another endorsement today in her May 15 runoff against incumbent school board member Jon Lauritzen.
Last week, it was former Asssembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg backing her campaign. On Wednesday, it was Louis Pugliese, who placed ther in the primary election for the seat.
Galatzan was the leading vote getter in the primary and is being backed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in his effort to elect a new majority to the Board of Education that supports his calls for reform.
Pugliese said his decision was based on the need to change the LAUSD.
“In conversations with Tamar, it is clear to me that she is committed to the extensive changes necessary to restore excellence to our schools, Pugliese said. We need a representative on the School Board who is not afraid to challenge the powerful forces that stand in the way of genuine reform.